A level shifter comprises one or more electrical circuits that receives an input signal having a first voltage level and converts (e.g., shifts) the input signal such that the level shift produces an output signal, based on the input signal, that has a second voltage level different (e.g., higher) than the first voltage level. Typically, level shifters are used in the context of data input/output (I/O), where, for example, a level shifter can be used to address the voltage difference between a core voltage supply (e.g., VDD, such as a voltage supply for core logic or an input buffer of a processor), such as a voltage supply used within a processor, and I/O supply (e.g., VDDQ, such voltage supply provided by an output buffer of a processor) that powers I/O circuitry and interfaces, such as the I/O of the processor. Additionally, in the context of I/O usage, a level shifter may need to operate at a fast rate and provide a wide supply range to facilitate high I/O data rates.
With more and more usage of battery-operated systems, such as Internet-of-Things (IoT) sensors, the ability of such systems to conserve their battery power has become a priority. One way of conserving power (e.g., battery power) is to lower the voltage of a core voltage supply of a circuit (e.g., a processor) of a system. Unfortunately, in some instances, lowering the voltage of the core voltage supply can cause the core voltage supply to fall below the normal operational range of devices (e.g., transistors) used within a conventional level shifter, thereby preventing the conventional level shifter from operating properly.